The Yami no Yugi
by SamCyberCat
Summary: Before he can run a company Kaiba needs to prove he can run the lives of others, namely through Duel Monsters. But there’s always one who stands in the way… YamixSeto, Season 0 based, drabble fic.


"Explain to me why this is necessary, I'm already enrolled in the finest universities that the country has to offer yet somehow you feel the need to place me in a common school which has no chance of benefiting my education."

Seto Kaiba did not beat around the bush when confronting his stepfather on matters like these.

The current CEO of Kaiba Corp sighed with obvious annoyance before answering, "This has nothing to do with your education Seto, this is a test. Although the time when my company gets passed down to you is far from near I must first see how you can handle controlling people. Using my own employees would be useless, as they already listen to your commands, so you shall be placed in a school of unsuspecting students. If you are up to the challenge you shall take control of those students by whatever means necessary within three weeks."

Kaiba nodded to show he acknowledged Gozaburo's words, already running through a variety of methods in his mind to see which was the most achievable.

Once Gozaburo concluded that the conversation was over he turned to continue his work and Kaiba left the room. There was no formality between them beyond what was necessary.

The task at hand wasn't all that difficult. Teenagers were like sheep anyway, they would follow anyone they considered "cool" enough or who could strike enough fear into them.

Even if a shallow nerd like Kaiba could never be considered cool to the brainless mass of Domino High he knew he could use his forces to command respect in the student underworld.

It was by chance advantage that many of the students were into the Duel Monsters game, which was generally considered the "in thing" around the school. Kaiba was well known as the international champion for the game and understanding how precious a person's favourite card could be meant he knew how easily that person could be controlled if you take said card from them. And how much they would fear you if you decided to keep it or damage it.

Perhaps a little underhanded but three weeks wasn't a lot of time so he had to make do with what he had. If anything it helped increase the amount of cards he had in his possession.

It also helped that most of his crimes were blamed on a so-called psychopath who had apparently been sending many locals into a state of mental trauma. No one who knew the truth about the stolen cards would dare tell.

His one problem presented itself in the form of an abnormally small boy and his gang of followers. For some reason they insisted on becoming friends with him and at the time it seemed inconvenient to convince them otherwise. However, it was unsurprising that two of the boy's gang became angered by his superiority. The blonde one disliked Kaiba because of his higher social standard and the cleaner disliked Kaiba because the girl he liked had decided she thought Kaiba was better looking then him.

These were issues that Kaiba could care less about but he decided to put them both in their place anyway, especially when they accused him of stealing the Blue Eyes White Dragon card.

Even if it was true that he stole it.

He watched mercilessly as his men beat them up, and then he continued to watch as the boy, Yugi, came to help them. Apparently Yugi thought if he let Kaiba steal the card then his conscience would make him give it back. That theory just saw him get beaten up like his two friends.

Once the show was finished Kaiba left to attend to more important matters, taking the prize of the Blue Eyes with him. But as he moved to get into the limo he felt the gaze of a person upon him.

Yugi.

No, that wasn't possible. Yugi was left beaten up on the roof of the school building, so he couldn't be here now. But this was him, very few people had tri-coloured spiky hair like his. Though there was something very different about him…

This Yugi had an air of confidence around him, and eyes that were very narrow, almost sinister…

He glanced around quickly for the other two, but they were nowhere in sight. This Yugi must have left them on the roof. For him that seemed quite out of character…

"Kaiba," said the other Yugi, his voice was different the one he'd heard before, "You have done wrong. And now your mind must be punished."

"Mind must be punished? What is this?!" Kaiba demanded, determined to reach the bottom of this situation, even if the calm way the other had said that statement had scared him slightly.

The other Yugi smirked, an expression that Kaiba was at the moment unaware he'd be faced with for years to come, and answered, "I challenge you to a duel. Of the kind you've never experienced before."

Kaiba doubted that, he'd seen almost everything in duelling, but he couldn't pass up a challenge.

"Fine," he replied, "I accept."

It wasn't difficult for them to find an empty classroom to play the duel in. The school was always empty at night as the lazy janitor left the student committee to do the cleaning.

A duelling board was quickly set up on the table and each shuffled their decks before starting.

The other Yugi's face was still calm and slightly amused. It scared Kaiba more then he'd admit to think it was possible that Yugi already knew the outcome of the match. But in duelling nothing was final.

He played his first card, a powerful Battle Ox that would be difficult for the other Yugi to take down.

As the card sat on the field the air changed immensely. Thick smoke raised from the card giving the impression to could be on fire before a giant Battle Ox emerged from it.

This couldn't be. The cards were not real creatures and there was no kind of electronics in the duelling board. But there stood the Battle Ox, who not only looked solid enough but also smelled what Kaiba presumed a real Ox would smell like.

"There's one thing I forgot to mention," drawled the other Yugi, watching Kaiba's shock with affectionate entertainment, "This is a Yami no Game."

Yami no Game… a game of darkness? This must have been what he'd meant when he said this duel was different. How had this Yugi created these illusions? Kaiba wondered. This is a darker Yugi… a Yami no Yugi?

Without realising it Kaiba was on his feet. And he was grinning like a mad man.

"Yugi, this is exactly the kind of duelling experience I've been searching for," he exclaimed loudly.

Yami Yugi was thrilled to find someone who wasn't scared of his shadow magic. The absence of fear would make it easier to have a more serious duel. If Kaiba wanted to see more then there would be plenty of opportunities before the night was through.

He looked at the cards in his hand after drawing from his deck. True, he didn't have anything strong enough to defeat the Battle Ox right now but that didn't mean he couldn't defend against it.

As he lay down the Mystic Elf in defence mode the creature emerged from the card. Every detail about her was so real it couldn't possibly be an illusion. Her blue skin was smoother then that of any human, her hair lay completely flat against the back of her head and as she chanted her voice soothed in a way that almost lulled Kaiba into a false sense of security.

But any true duellist knew it was impossible to win on defence alone. By equipping the Battle Ox with a magic card he'd be able to take down Yami's creature easily.

The Black Pendant he played appeared around his beast's neck, as he predicted the shadow magic would allow it to do, and he wasted no time in attacking.

As the axe soared through the Mystic Elf she died with a scream that could pierce the heart of anyone who heard it before exploding with another wave of smoke.

It suddenly dawned on him that the rumours of delusions seen by some locals may have originated from this very being.

"You do realise your reputation Yugi?" he questioned, "The police are after you, the families of those you've damaged want you brought to justice and I'm sure when your victims have recovered they'll want a piece of you too. In short, everybody wants you."

A grin and the red eyes flashed.

"But do you want me Kaiba?"

The genius failed to understand the question.

Without waiting for an answer Yami drew his next card. The trap card Shadow Spell bound the Battle Ox in its chains and reduced its attack points. Making it easy for the Great Shark Yami summoned to destroy the beast.

All of the cards in Kaiba's hand were magic and trap cards, which would be useless without a monster to play. He couldn't leave himself vulnerable to Yami so it was vital he drew a monster.

There was one monster he'd be sure to win with. The Blue Eyes White Dragon card was almost unbeatable, and he had it in his pocket.

Before drawing he casually slipped his hand into his pocket and placed it flat on his palm. He then moved it to the top of his deck and pretended to draw it.

Yami watched him with content interest. It surprised him that Yami didn't notice his trick, perhaps he was less in control then what he'd lead Kaiba to believe? Those eyes suggested otherwise though.

"With me I have the card that will only lead to your defeat. You do realise that?" Kaiba asked, surrounded in confidence.

"I wonder if you dare play it," Yami mused aloud, knowing this would draw Kaiba closer to the move that would make him lose.

He wouldn't let anyone question his bravery! Let him be known as a thief and let him be trapped in these dark games like Yami's other victims, but do not let him, Seto Kaiba, be known as a coward!

He held the card dramatically, swiftly flicking it over to show the beast and said, "I call forth the Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

This creature did not appear from a cloud of smoke like the others. A star shaped ritual circle formed in the air, from which the dragon emerged in all its glory.

"Can you face this beast Yugi? Can you or your illusions stop it?" he called, knowing it was hopeless.

Yami stared deep into the dragon's eyes. The creature may not have been used much for battle but it had served Yugi's grandpa for years, safely hidden in its little box, comfortingly reminding him of a far away friend. And now it was set against the descendant of its master. Those eyes were filled with sorrow.

Silently Yami passed on the message that it didn't have to be this way. If the dragon really cared about Sugoroku it could help his grandson in this time of need.

"Blue Eyes White Dragon! Attack his monster to end this duel!" Kaiba screeched, excited to have won against the magic that had reduced so many others to nothing.

But the dragon did not attack. It knew it was not Kaiba's to command and it never would be. The smoke drew around it, ripping the dragon apart and sending it to the grave.

"Do you realise that dragon would rather be dead then serve you?" Yami questioned, drawing his next card, "And now the door of darkness has been opened."

The soon-to-be CEO failed to understand the last statement but he knew from that expression it was over for him.

In the form of the Summoned Skull Yami decided to end this for Kaiba. With no monsters on the field he was powerless to defend himself so the direct attack would wipe him out.

As the lightning blast hit his life points Kaiba fell to the floor, swearing he could feel the pain of the blow.

Before he knew it Yami was beside him. But he was not there to help him up.

"You have caused pain and suffering to everyone who surrounds you Kaiba. And you will carry on causing it because, unless you stop, that's all that's left for you."

He knelt down, musing the ways in which he could damage Kaiba's mind, but then he saw something.

Fear.

Fear was nothing new to his victims. They had all cowered in it before losing their sanity, but Kaiba's fear was an almost child-like one, showing he was not a corrupted maniac like most of Yami's victims, but a misguided youth who needed to be led on the right trail.

Perhaps there was hope for him. Or perhaps he was just going soft, a nagging voice inside of him commented.

He softly pushed Kaiba's face up to be level with his and smiled in a way that was not sinister. Then he pressed his lips against Kaiba's, drawing him into a gesture that neither of them had experience in this life.

The Yami no Yugi's lips were warm, and Kaiba let them penetrate his guard for a while before roughly shoving the other in the chest.

Yami fell backwards, genuinely surprised by Kaiba's actions.

"I will not let you have my title Yugi," Kaiba spat, "But now is not the time to get it back."

Using a powdered smoke bomb Kaiba managed to mask his exit, leaving Yami standing there quite unfazed.

Perhaps it was soft of him to let Kaiba go, but he wanted the challenge to stay. As they say, the chase is better then the catch.


End file.
